Location: Brazil is a very large country located in eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean.
Land Area: 8,511,000 square kilometers (km), slightly smaller than the United States. It covers almost half of South America.
Coastline: 7,1491 kilometers
Highest Point: 3,014 km (Pico da Neblina)
Lowest Point: Sea level, Atlantic Ocean
Notable Landmarks: Visit them now!

Natural Resources: Bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $1.58 trillion (2005 est.)
GDP Per Capita: $8,500 (2005 est.)
Number of Workers: 90.41 million (2005 est.)
Unemployment Rate: 9.9% (2005 est.)
Industries: Textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment.
Currency: Real (BRL) What does it look like?

Type of Government: Federative Republic
Head of State: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, elected Jan 1, 2003
Head of Government: Same
Capital City: Brasilia
Legal Age to Vote: 18
Flag Design: Green with a large yellow diamond in the center, bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each state and the federal district). The stars are arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil. The globe has a white band with the motto Ordem e Progresso (Order and Progress).
Official Language: Portuguese (official), Spanish, English and French.
Religions: Roman Catholic, 73.6%; Protestant, 15.4%; Spriritualist, 1.3%; Bantu / voodoo, 0.3; other, 1.8%; unspecified, 0.2%; none, 7.4% (2000 census).

Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation on September 7,1822. It is the largest and most populous country in South America. It has overcome more than half a century of military rule to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of the interior. Brazil is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. There is an unruly region where the borders of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet. There criminals launder money, do smuggling, arms and drug trafficking and the area harbors Islamic militants.